United We Fall
by BTS-ARMY
Summary: The seed of their love was planted under the reign of someone else, their love bloomed on the war-ravaged field of despair, and it withered away as the dawn of a new era approaches… It all started with China finding Russia on a tree. An interpretation of China and Russia's relationship through the Mongolian period, fall of imperial China, and the dissolution of Soviet Union. Rochu.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Heyy! Wait, don't leave! Lol, anyways I'm very excited to start a new story, but here are some things I have to go over first (feel free to skip them and move on to the story, but I recommend you to read the points ^J^).**

 **-I know this concept has been done over and over again, but I reallyyy wanted to write my own version of China and Russia's history, especially the three main arcs (When both were under Mongolian rule, the fall of imperial China, and the dissolution of Soviet Union). And that brings me to my next point... Please do not take this story for historical facts. It's not. I did some research and know the basics, but this will not be historically accurate.**

 **-I'll be using their human names in the story because it's just easier for me to write. Also China's sentences will not end with "aru" because it makes me laugh every time I hear China say that and also because it's a Japanese stereotype of Chinese accent. Additionally, China and Russia may seem different from their cannon selves in the anime because I want to add more depth to their characters.**

 **-Since I'll be using their human names, I had to pick a name for Mongolia. His human name is Ganbaatar, and it means "steel hero". I read many fanfictions where Mongolia was portrayed as China's abuser, plaything, etc. where they had a sexual relationship, but I wanted to move away from all of that. He respects Yao to a point, and whether he admires Yao for his warrior prowess, wants to be seen as an equal to him, or has a crush on him, I'll leave you, the reader, to decide. Btw in my mind, he's also a pretty boy (not as pretty as Yao of course) since Hetalia is full of pretty boys! :D**

 **-I do not own Hetalia (obviously and sadly).**

 **-Fun fact: there's a Sherlock reference hidden in this chapter, can you spot it? ;))**

* * *

The Mongolian man drummed his fingers impatiently against the arm of the oak chair, creating the sound of horses running. If Yao closed his eyes, he could almost imagine a herd of stallions galloping through the vast fields with a rising horizon. Flowing manes that unfurled and whipped as the wind called it, feet that pounded the ground, gallantly trampling over the lush ground beneath. If he tried hard enough, he could almost hear them stepping among the rocks and drinking from the shallow pools accumulated from rain water.

"Damn it China, where is that brat?!" Almost.

Calmingly, Yao brought the porcelain teacup to his lips and sipped the freshly brewed tea slowly. It burned the tip of his tongue and aroused his annoyance just as much as the man sitting in front of him.

"And why would I know where he is?" Yao blew on the tea attempting to cool it.

"Cause he's freaking infatuated with you!" Oh how he wished that the stupid barbarian would learn how to speak instead of shout. If he didn't have anything intelligent to say, he would rather have him keep his pig mouth shut. "Tell me, what did you do? Seduce him?"

 _Clang_. The sound of the teacup clashing against the hardwood vibrated throughout the room, silencing Ganbaatar and served as a grim reminder to the lines he mustn't cross. "I don't need to seduce him; I don't have to do anything except show him the smallest ounce of kindness. After all, compared to how you treat him, I'm practically a saint."

"So you say," Ganbaatar smirked smugly, twirling his finger around his long braid.

What would he do if he chopped off that braid. Would he kill him? Yao smiled at that idea. "What are you implying?"

"I'm saying that you are more fond of that imbecile than you let on."

Yao narrowed his eyes and retrieved his cup from the table. "I don't care about Muscovy," Yao said.

"Oh you meant _Vanya_?" His eyes glinting as he repeated what Yao had occasionally called the small nation.

"Look," Yao gulped down the tea expecting to seek comfort from the taste, however all he perceived was bitterness. "I don't know what you think you heard, and frankly I don't care. But if I have to choose between you or him, then yes, he is more bearable."

"No need to get all defensive, it doesn't make you weaker if you tried to be a little human."

"Human?" And just when he thought that Mongolia couldn't get any more intolerable. "We're not humans; we'll never be humans. They die and we live, so why should I lower myself to the chains of mortality?" Yao snapped harshly.

"I didn't mean to…" Ganbaatar lowered his eyes. He might be a brute, but he knew how much Yao hated to be reminded of the things they could never have.

"Enough of this talk," Yao rubbed his temples smoothing away the aching pain. "Well didn't you come to me because of Muscovy? What happened?"

At the sound of the smaller nation's name, Ganbaatar fumed up. And Yao could have sworn he saw steam coming out of his ears.

"That brat had done it this time! He was supposed to be cleaning my room, but what did I see when I came back?! HE DREW PICTURES OVER MY TRADE AGREEMENTS! PICTURES!"

The palace shook from the outburst. Maids scurried away in fright and guards outside shivered at the incoming fires of fury. But to Yao, he was but an angry kitty, a Schrodinger's cat stuck in its box.

"Pictures of what?" Yao bit his tongue attempting to stiffen his laughter.

 _Pictures of you._ "It doesn't matter! Anyway I tried to discipline him but he ran away, and now I can't find him! Wait, are you laughing?!" The Mongolian's facial muscles twitched.

"No, of course not. I would never laugh at you," he answered sweetly and batted his eyelashes for the additional effect. Ganbaatar hissed at the sarcastic remark. "Ha, that boy is smarter than he looks. Good for him, who knows what you might do to him in this condition?"

"Are you suggesting that you're hiding him?" Ganbaatar narrowed his eyes menacingly.

Yao scoffed, "No."

He knew he was not, and would never be, as manipulative or calculating as Yao was. However he was no fool. No matter how much Yao denied of harboring affection for that child, he knew that Yao cared for him. He could see it in his eyes. Those haunting eyes that lusted after power and destruction; sparks of fire that threatened to annihilate nations if given the chance. Those golden hues were the envy of any rising sun, and when he was with that kid, they radiated warmth that had the potential to melt the coldest of winters. Although both Yao and Ivan were his prisoners, he felt like he was the one truly caged.

"You can't keep protecting him forever."

"Even though I genuinely don't know where he is, I'll do what I can to shield him from you." Yao challenged.

"China, you shouldn't be so attached to… this boy," he softened his voice. "He's nothing but trouble. I've seen what he did to the farm animals…"

"Since when do you care about farm animals?" Yao laughed.

"Listen, I may not be a prophet but I can tell if that boy ever grows up to be a full nation, he's going to be ruthless. He might even be the end of you."

"You don't know him."

"And you do, Yao?"

"DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK MY NAME! I will not have you stain it!" Yao roared and slammed his fist down onto the table. "You don't have the right to say anything! You're the one who murdered millions of my people! Everywhere you went fertile land was laid desolate; the living became dead, and their skin and bone crumbled to dust! I can feel them even now, for as long as I live they demand retribution."

Ganbaatar, stunned at the outburst, sat there afraid to move or even make a sound. Dread was an invisible demon perched heavily on his shoulders and only he could hear the sharpening of its knife. Or perhaps it was the noise of Yao's agitated breathing.

That was the breaking point of his patience, and he was blinded by the rage that felt bitter yet surprisingly satisfying. However, Yao reprimanded himself for losing his composure over some uncivilized savage. "Fine, I'll do what you wanted. I'll go find Ivan if that means I can get away from you."

With that, Yao stood up and walked past Ganbaatar not looking at him once.

"If you don't find him before dawn, I'll flay both of you alive," he called out after him in an attempt to reassert his authority. But the quivering of his voice betrayed the fear he was trying to mask.

"I'll pray for your success," Yao said calmly after regaining his cold façade.

Ganbaatar listened to the sound of his steps until it faded to mere echoes of the things he wanted to say, but never did.

* * *

 _Where could that child have gone to?_ Yao thought annoyingly. He had already searched his own room, the kitchen, the servant quarters, and even storages. Ivan had a gift for miraculously finding him in any time of the day at any place he could imagine himself being in, yet Yao had no idea where to look for the boy. This possibly being the result of him never having to worry about finding him since Ivan was always banging on his door or had already sneaked in to his room and positioned himself as the king of the chamber. Several guards bowed to him as he made his way through the palace, but he paid them no attention as concern began flooding his mind.

As much as he hated to admit it, he cared about Ivan. The nights where he begged him to let him sleep in his room, Yao had heard Ivan sometimes crying in his sleep. Crying about missing his sisters, crying about the pain that was deeply engraved on his body, and so Yao would pull him tighter into his embrace, wishing there was anything he could do to make the heartache go away. Of course Ivan knew nothing of this, as the when the mornings came he was greeted by Yao scowling at him and telling him to get out.

Without him noticing it, he had wondered to the only garden of the palace. It was a sorry excuse for a garden as Yao squinted to see the barren land under the incandescent glare of the sun.

The plain laid out unapologetically in front of him. It was but an expanse of grass and wild meadow flowers. Uncared for, and freely grown under nature's command, the garden was untamed as the nation it belonged to. In the middle of the field stood a great oak tree and from there he heard the whimpering of a child.

Yao mentally slapped himself for not thinking of the most obvious place for a boy to hide. Alas stupidity was a contagious disease.

"Ivan you can stop hiding now, Mongolia is not here," Yao walked under the tree and looked up at the child perched on one of the branches.

Ivan winced at the voice but once he realized it came from none other than his beloved Yao, he peered down and brightened at the familiar face.

"Yao!" Ivan squealed delightfully, waving to him and losing his balance in the process.

"Whoa, be careful!" Yao's heart stopped as he watched the child almost plunging down the tree. Luckily, Ivan grabbed onto the branch before falling over through the leaves.

"Aha I'm okay," he smiled innocently displaying no signs of fright, yet Yao could see his hands trembling as they clenched to the tree for dear life.

"Well come down now," Yao said.

"I can't," Ivan nervously replied.

"Why?"

"I don't know how, I'm stuck here." Even though he was still smiling, droplets of tears were forming below his eyes. "Help me, Yao."

"Get down this instant. I don't have all day." Yao crossed his arms. _How could he climb that high in the first place if he didn't know how to get down?_

"But I can't!" Ivan's smile was now replaced by a frown and he felt himself breaking down after the rollercoaster of emotions he had been through today. After narrowly escaping Ganbaatar's wrath, he hid himself on a tree. However as soon as he looked down he knew there was no way for him to get down. So he prayed and prayed for an angel to come get him, and just when he thought his prayer had been answered, Yao seemed angry at him.

Watching him on the verge of crying, Yao sighed and knew that kid would be the death of him one day.

"Okay, if you can't get down here by yourself then jump."

"Huh?" Ivan stared bafflingly at him.

"Jump, I'll catch you." Yao grinned and extended out his arms.

"B-but I'm scared," Ivan whined.

"Aiyahh why are you scared? I said I'll catch you didn't I?" With arms still reaching outward, Yao motioned for him to jump.

"I'm sc-scared of falling," Ivan stubbornly insisted. "Why can't you jump up here and bring me down!"

"Because you have to learn to be strong," Yao answered sternly. "Didn't you say you wanted to be the largest nation in the world? If you can't even jump down a tree, forget about that pipe dream."

Ivan pouted, and felt himself to be unfairly treated. Truth to be told, he didn't want to be the largest nation in the world, he only said that to get the attention of the older man.

 _Ivan shivered as he was being dragged down through the hall. Ever since his land was conquered by the Mongols, he was taken away from his sisters and held prison in a small room with no windows. It was a dark and unforgiving place; there was nothing in the tiny room but his own heart beat and rancid breath. Days and months passed before he was let out, and that was only to properly meet the Mongolian empire itself, Ganbaatar._

 _He could hear the sound of his chains scraping the floor as he made his way down the grand banquet hall._ _There he met the tyrant who held the leash to his imprisonment. Ivan whimpered in fright as the man slowly descended down the steps from his throne. He was slim but muscular, with predatory eyes of a hawk. He wore a long braid and was adored in layers of fur, tunic, and silk._

" _This brat is Muscovy?" Ivan trembled as the man's intimidating voice landed upon his ears._

 _Luckily the man did not seem interested in him and merely told the guards to place him wherever they deemed appropriate. As the feast was about to start and little Ivan was seated at the corner, the door barged open and a man more intimidating than Ganbaatar walked in._

 _He was intimidating; but not in the way that the Mongolian was. His presence commanded attention, and he walked as if he was the only one in the room. Even from far away, Ivan could tell that his face was finely crafted. He had fine painted brows and lashes so thick it could be illegal. And then his eyes-they were deep and catastrophic, a vivid amber_ _that closely resembled gold. He had distinct cheekbones and a strong jaw, and his fair skin made him devilishly handsome. He was dressed differently from the others, wearing a white garment that flowed like waterfall, and his beautiful long hair was an entity of its own; it freely danced in the wind, silently and elusively._

 _Yet it was not his appearance that made Ivan gawked in admiration, it was the way he held himself. So sure of himself, and mighty as someone who watched empires rise and fall._

 _But no matter how intensely Ivan stared at him, he never looked in his direction. Not even once._

 _The mysterious man took his seat next to Ganbaatar and the banquet began. But the whole time Ivan was just staring at him, praying for him to look at him even if it was just for a second._

" _Hey China, remember the new territory I conquered?" Ganbaatar asked Yao in an attempt to start a conversation. However he gave no reaction as he continued to pour tea for himself. Annoyed at Yao's lack of reply, he called out to Ivan, "Muscovy, come here!"_

 _Shyly, Ivan watched his feet took steps across the glossy tiles._

" _Um, I-I'm Ivan," he stuttered softly as he stood in front of the two men. To his disappointment, even though he was standing directly in front of Yao, he appeared utterly bored out of his mind and his eyes were staring in the distance past Ivan._

" _I…I'm going to be the largest nation in the world one day!" Ivan blurted out before he could process what he actually said._

 _Suddenly all eyes were on him and it became so silent that one could hear a pin drop. Then the whole court bursted into laughter. Ganbaatar looked like he wanted to kill him, but Ivan didn't care because for the first time that man finally looked at him._

 _He seemed puzzled at first, but then ever so slightly the corners of his mouth moved upward. Whether it was out of condescending amusement or genuine kindness, the moment Yao smiled Ivan knew his fate had been decided._ _Even if the world around him started collapsing, his heart would not get crushed as long as he was looking at him._

"Yao Yao you're so mean! I'll die if I jump down!" Ivan began to cry.

"It's not the fall that kills you, it's the landing," Yao corrected him. "You won't die because I'm here to catch you."

"Nyet!"

"Ivan, I'm going to count to three. If you don't jump down by three, then I'm going to leave you and bring Mongolia here."

"What?! Yao!"

"One."

"Wait, I'm not ready!"

"Two."

"I can't!"

"Three."

Ivan bit down on his lips firmly, closed his eyes and let go of the branch. For a moment, he was suspended in air, limbs flailing, and mouth agape. Like a newborn bird, he was flying down, head first, toward the inevitable crush. But instead of the hard ground, he was laying in soft fabrics and two strong arms wrapped tightly around him.

Yao had underestimated the impact of Ivan flying into his arms. He was heavier than he looked, and as soon as he landed in his arms, Yao lost his balance and fell backward towards the ground. Sure, not a single hair was harmed on Ivan, but Yao felt perhaps if might have been better if he had just climbed up the tree and brought him down.

"I told you I'd catch you," Yao said.

Ivan buried his head in Yao's robes and purred against the warm chest. His fingers curled into the fabric, not clasping it tightly, but just to reassure himself that Yao was truly there with him.

"Um, can you get up now?" Even if Ivan was only a child, he was already to his waist and having him lying on top of him was beginning to take a toll on Yao's, in no way muscular, frame.

"Nyet, I like this position," Ivan nuzzled happily against him.

"So you like being on top of me, huh?" Yao couldn't help but tease him, even though the child had no idea what he was actually referring to.

"Da!"

Ivan's innocence made Yao scold himself for the indecent thoughts he was having. _For crying out loud, he's like a father-figure to him!_ But somehow that thought made him feel even worse. Briefly, he wondered what Ivan would be like when he grew up. What would he look like? Would he still retain his childlike smile? Would he still follow him around like a baby duckling?

 _He might even be the end of you._ An unpleasant thought entered his mind, but he quickly disregarded that idea. _That Mongolian knows nothing._

"Vanya, let's go," Yao nudged Ivan slightly. "Ganbaatar said he'll skin both of us alive if we don't return by sundown."

"Don't worry I'll protect you," Ivan rose up his head and stared earnestly into Yao's eyes.

"Ha, you mean you'll hide behind me again." Yao pinched his chubby cheeks and laughed as the child grumbled dejectedly.

They lay on the ground surrounded by wildly grown grass. Rough and shaggy like uncombed hair, the grass waved and rustled in the breeze. Yao held Ivan close, one hand playing with his soft platinum hair, and the other enclosed around his back.

"Yao, I meant what I said," Ivan's voice broke through the peaceful silence.

"What?"

"I'll be there to catch you when you fall too." There was an unwavering certainty in his words that both amused Yao and brought unease.

"Silly boy, I won't fall," he spoke softly.

"Everyone falls," Ivan said it as if it was a matter-of-fact. "But don't worry Yao, I'll catch you."

For the first time since they met Yao had no idea what Ivan was thinking of, and as he glanced down at the boy rested on top of him, his face was hidden by Yao's own clothes. He guessed it didn't matter what he meant because right now as he closed his eyes he could envision the horses galloping freely across fields of powdery snow.

* * *

 **AN: This is an one-shot divided into three chapters, next chapter will be full of angst! Be prepared!**

 **You have no idea how much I value reviews, so please leave one if you can. I really would like to know what you think of the story.**

 **Thank you for reading! Hugs and Kisses ^J^**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Yay another chapter! Thanks for the reviews, favs, and follows! :)**

 **-Short history lesson (skip if you want): In 1900, a Chinese secret organization called the Society of the Righteous and Harmonious Fists (lol at the translation) led an uprising in northern China against the spread of Western and Japanese influence there. They killed foreigners and Chinese Christians and destroyed foreign property (the Qing Empress supported them). So the Western power were not happy about this and they formed an Eight Nation Alliance determined to stop the uprising.**

 **-This chapter was kinda difficult to write because of the historical background. While the eight nations may seem like villains, they really were not (it's hard to define good and evil when all countries participated in invading others and are victims of other invasions). Those years were undeniably a sad chapter in China's history, but the country itself was not entirely faultless. Imperial China was coming to an end, it persisted for a long time, but change was coming.**

 **-Again when reading Hetalia (especially the historical ones), we have to realize that there's a fine line between actual countries and fictional characters. I'm saying this because this chapter contain material that may be disturbing to some.**

 **-Hong Kong is Xiao Xiang (小香), and Taiwan is Wan Wan (湾湾)**

* * *

It was the sunset. He watched with a lifeless gaze, as the fiery orb of the dying sun slowly painted the whole sky crimson. Threads of light pierced through broken roofs and spread across the ravaged floor, like trails of blood. It oozed into every corner of the room and made the once beautiful palace ruined by the gore of the red, flowing blood.

Where did it all go? Where was his past glory? What happened to that immortal who could talk to dragons and walked on water?

Dead. His empire built on sheer determination and divine protection had crumbled right before his eyes.

Yao was grotesque. His once striking face had shriveled up to a bloody mess of gaping cuts, swollen bruises and infected wounds. His clothes were completely ripped off, revealing a skeletal chest that paled as if it was smeared with ash. His rib cage threatened to pop through his skin, and parts where his flesh had been gouged out accumulated pools of blood drizzling down his legs like rain down a window pane...although blood wasn't the only substance dripping down from his drained body.

He didn't remember how he came to be sitting on this chair, this throne of humiliation, but it placed him in the perfect view of the man watching him from just a few feet away. Even when all had left, he still remained behind.

"Get out. What more do you want from me?"

He had nothing left. Not even his dignity. He looked less appetizing than a rotting corpse on the street, so why was he still here? Did he hate him that much to watch him deteriorate in silence?

"Get out!" It came out less of a shout and more of a whisper.

Still Yao refused to meet his eyes; his whole world already in dust would be blown to a hollow pit of nothingness if he admitted to the truth.

"Are you happy Yao?" The voice sprinkled with hints of innocence spoke. "Are you happy that you held on that long? Are you satisfied with the results you brought on yourself?"

"Shut-"

"You knew this was going to happen eventually," He cut him off shamelessly. "What did you expect from fighting a losing war?"

What did he expect? What else could he have done except to fight till his last breath?! He had run out of options a long time ago.

"You refused to open your doors for me, for anyone," the man continued. "You believed yourself to be invincible… and you isolated yourself from the rest of the world."

Staring at his bruised legs and the floor beneath him, Yao wished he still had some strength left so he could cut his own ears off.

"The world evolved while you were stuck in your delusion." When would he ever shut up Yao wondered. "And look where you are now, even your own people hate you."

His last words stung more than Yao thought possible. But it wasn't just his people, he hated himself too.

"Are you done?" Blood drooled down from his jaws.

Instead of replying, the man walked closer to Yao. Every step sounded like the gunshots used to invade his country; it creaked and echoed, magnifying the feeling of Yao's vulnerability. _No! Don't come any closer!_ He trembled subconsciously, shrinking even further against his chair. _Don't hurt me anymore._ His mind briefly revisited every single scar he received from the nations, and horrific events flashed before his eyes. _Stop it!_

In his panic, he accidentally lifted up his head and was consumed in the eyes of that man.

 _Ivan._

His eyes were the color of over-ripen grapes, the kind where the sweet fragrance disguised its rotten core. He stared at Yao with such intensity which transported him to the middle of a hailstorm, where every chunk of ice was a frosted dagger cutting into his skin.

No longer a child, Ivan loomed before him casting a dark shadow of desire over his damaged form. Yao wanted to scream, to run, to get away from this cruel joke… however his throat was dry, and most of his bones were broken. It was a cruel joke indeed.

"Yao," Ivan smiled and stroked the side of his face tenderly; the leather touch of the glove made his blood run cold. "You are prideful, arrogant, foolish, ignorant, selfish, delusional, and weak. But don't worry, no matter how rotten you are I still love you."

Their lips almost brushing, Ivan whispered softly. "Don't you ever forget that Wang Yao, I love you."

Yao didn't know which was more heartbreaking, the first time he said that or this moment right here.

* * *

" _Yao! It's me!" Yao would have recognized that voice anywhere. It was the sound of past memories and fond reminiscence. But there was also a hint of roughness that made him hesitant to look._

" _Ivan?" As he slowly turned around he was faced with a young man with bright violet eyes. Yao couldn't believe his eyes; despite the rumors he heard about the growing nation, he had never gotten the image of that loveable child out of his mind. But the longer he surveyed the man, the more sure he was that he was his Vanya._

 _Once only reaching Yao's waist, Ivan was now almost a head over him. His face was pale yet emitted a healthy glow, like the color of a moonbeam or an ivory carving. Those amethyst eyes spoke of their past and the things that, despite the years, remained the same. His nose reminded him of the times when he used to tease the child about it, but accommodated his handsome features as he grew into a full-fledged nation. Yao wanted to run his fingers through Ivan's hair; blonde lustrous locks fell just below his eyebrows and reflected the radiance of his smile. Instead of tattered clothes with holes patched on, he was wearing a dark blue uniform embellished with gold detailing and intricate military badges._

 _They grew up so fast, Yao thought._

" _Oh Yao, I miss you so much." While Yao didn't finish observing the man before him, Ivan had already rushed to his side and engulfed him in a suffocating hug._

" _Aiyahhh what do you think you're doing?!" Yao screeched as he felt his body tightly pressed against Ivan's. "You're way too old for this!"_

" _You can never be too old for hugs," Ivan squeezed him gently, bathing in his warmth and the smell of green tea leaves._

" _Ivan, let go of me now!" Sure, he could shove Ivan away, but he didn't want to hurt him so instead he opted to show his disapproval though his words._

 _Reluctantly Ivan softened his grip. "I dreamed of this day for a long time now."_

" _It's only been a few centuries," Yao raised his eyebrow._

" _Da, centuries of yearning for you."_

 _Before Yao could confirm whether something was wrong with his hearing, he was pulled into a kiss and the whole world fell away. At first, he could only feel the soft touch of Ivan's lips; a foreign feeling that he hadn't experienced in many centuries began emerging, and without Yao even realizing what was happening, he kissed back hungrily._

 _Their lips crushed in a wave of passion and lust. Ivan closed his eyes, and in the darkness he could see light exploding. Hs lips were chapped, and he could taste the metallic tang of blood as Yao gnawed feverishly. In the back of his head, there was this voice telling him it was all too good to be true, but he didn't care as long he had Yao in his arms. The kiss remained raw, and their tongues tangoed in an animalistic dance that only they, themselves knew._

 _Hidden desire and unsaid words were conveyed through their heated reunion, and as both pulled apart to catch their breath their heavy panting could be heard echoing throughout the room._

" _I love you," said Ivan as he wiped a string of saliva off his chin._

 _Those three little words buzzed around Yao's ears until they took form as loud as thunders. He heard them many times when they were both under Mongolia's reign, but he disregarded them as nothing but a child's infatuation. Only now it was different. Ivan was different._

 _What have he done._

 _The slap came unexpectedly with such force to Ivan and stung his face. He staggered backwards, clutching his face, unsure what had just happened._

" _Get out!" Yao screamed. "Don't let me see your face ever again!"_

" _I-I don't understand," his deep violet eyes searching for answers in Yao's enraged face. "I thought you…"_

" _You thought what?!"_

 _Ivan winced at his voice. "I... I thought you liked m-me to-too…" The words diminished to all but a whisper._

 _Yao felt sick to his stomach as he watched the man in front of him being almost reduced to tears. He felt even more nauseated when he glanced at Ivan's bruised lips caused by him. How could he be so irresponsible? How could he even forget for a second that love was not a privilege granted to immortals like them._

 _Ivan was not a harmless little boy who was bullied by Mongolia anymore, he was… like all those other Westerners. Yao's eyes darkened as he was brought back to his senses. These barbaric foreigners were all the same. They were greedy and only wanted a piece of his land. Now that Ivan had grown up, he was but another nation, another enemy that Yao needed to chase out._

" _You thought I liked you? Don't be ridiculous, I only played with you to make Mongolia jealous."_

 _Yao regretted his words as soon as he saw the look of despair on Ivan's face. But he managed to convince himself it was for the best since he was doing what was right for his country. He had enough on his plate to worry about; he did not need a Russian bear to bother him._

" _Leave, and if you ever come near my border again I will not show mercy."_

 _Yao didn't spare a second longer looking at him as he turned and walked away. Partly because he didn't want to see Ivan's heartbroken expression; partly because he didn't want Ivan to see silent tears sliding down his face._

* * *

"Your love sickens me," Yao hissed under his breath.

Ivan chuckled humorlessly. "If you hate hearing it so much, I'll say it to you every morning when you wake up and every evening when you go to sleep."

 _Why couldn't he just let him die in peace?_

"Da, that's right. I'll not let you die here," as if reading his mind Ivan smiled. "I promised you didn't I? I said I would catch you when you fall. And if this doesn't count as a fall I don't know what will."

Yao grimaced. "If this was a fall, then you pushed me."

Ivan's smile never faltered. "I'm not the enemy here. I'm here to save you."

"Save me…" Yao echoed his words.

"Da!" Ivan brightened as he thought he was finally getting to him.

Dejectedly, Yao snickered. "I don't know if you've gotten better at lying to me or lying to yourself. Do you honestly believe that you're saving me? Stop using me as an excuse for your own hunger for power."

"Aw, but everything I do, I do it for you." His breath felt hot on his face.

"Then they were right, you are crazy."

Immediately a gloved hand was shoved into his mouth, as Yao almost gagged on the intrusion.

"I love your voice, I really do," Ivan's fingers toyed with his tongue and extended further down his canal. "But be careful of what you say, you don't want me to rip out that pretty tongue of yours do you?"

After hearing Yao moan in pain, Ivan pulled out his hand soaked with blood and saliva. He then slowly began licking his fingers drenched with Yao's fluids, before wiping it off on his naked body.

"I always thought your eyes were gold, but now that I'm taking a closer look," his cold amethyst eyes bored into Yao's equally emotionless ones. "They are just a dull brown."

An uncontainable hunger twisted his insides as he lurched forward, pouncing on Yao. His tongue traced over the cuts and wounds on his face, leaving a slimy trail over the land he conquered. He could feel Yao squirm, his malnourished frame pinned beneath his body as his actions intensified. With one hand supporting Yao's head, he pulled him closer indulging himself in the feast laid out in front of him. It was almost sad that the only way he could be with Yao was when everyone else had already had their share of him. It almost made him cry to think that Yao would only accept him when his walls were blasted down from opium and gunfire. But instead of lamenting on this cruel joke, he let his body took control unleashing centuries of unreciprocated passion.

 _What did he do to deserve this?_ Yao closed his eyes as Ivan's tongue slithered over his skin, wincing in pain as his wounds were being reopened. He screamed silently, forcing himself to not make a sound for he was already a pitiful creature at the mercy of someone else. Momentarily, he opened his eyes and gazed into the face of his capturer. For a passing moment, he saw the little boy who wanted nothing more than other's acceptance and love. He saw the child who jumped into his arms from a tree and he faintly remembered how much Ivan meant to him back then… even now.

"Vanya," Ivan flinched ever so slightly upon hearing that name. "If you ever cared about me, please kill me."

* * *

 _His end was coming. His fate was resigned to that of tragedy. Just like an old friend of his whom he had met on the Silk Road many years ago, his own empire had fallen from its glorious state to the depth of ashes and bones._

 _Yao could barely manage to stand as he gripped his sword to support his weight. His body was sick beyond repair. All the opium consumed by his people led to the buildup of this incurable disease in him. He coughed suddenly, and on his hand were grains of black powder-like particles and blood. How pitiful._

 _All of his siblings had left him; some even had the courtesy to stab him in the back. He raised them like his own children whom he could never have, and how did they repay him? Xiao Xiang was taken away by that despicable pirate, but it was Yao whom he directed the anger at. 'You're so weak,' was what he said before leaving the grief-stricken nation. He was simply one of the consequences for losing the Opium wars. Then there was Wan Wan… She too despised Yao for losing. She would rather go with Kiku than stay with someone who continued to be trampled upon. Ah Kiku… Even in Yao's most impassive condition, he refused to think about that child. The one whose betrayal hurt the most._

 _He could hear people fighting outside the palace on the streets where only defeat awaited them. But here inside, his future was no different. His own emperor abandoned him, and he was the only one left to face his eight uninvited guests. Glancing down at his ragged attire and tangled hair, he really was in no mood to be a gracious host._

 _The door blasted open, and the approaching footsteps became unavoidable._

" _Give it up Yao, you're surrounded." The words were coated with a heavy British accent._

 _Yao chuckled softly before turning around. It would be all over soon…_

 _Looking over at the group of men who would be the end of him, he couldn't help but pity them. What a bunch of immature children, most of them weren't even half his age, but here they were staring at him like a pack of hungry wolves waiting to devour an injured sheep. How odd, the day had come when he would be regarded as a helpless sheep._

 _The former pirate lord smirked amusingly while beside him, the French nobleman adjusted his ridiculously fancy collar. In fact, his whole outfit seemed more fitting to attend a ball than to participate in a massacre. Beside the two was a new player in this chess game of world domination. Yao could tell he was very young, and from his ocean-blue eyes that could one day sank the whole world under his sovereignty, Yao knew he was just as power-hungry as the rest of them. On the other side, a solemn German stood sternly and a smiling man clung on to his arm; he had a white flag tied around his belt. On the other side of the German was the Austrian nation who joined in on the fun because of Germany. But out of all of them, there were two that caused the most agony. Yao tightened his grip on the sword._

 _Kiku's inscrutable face stared unsympathetically at Yao, but it was undeniable that he was looking down on Yao, on the man whom he had once called 'Onii-san.' Unable to look at him anymore, Yao directed his gaze at the figure standing near the back. His face was covered by shadows, but Yao could have recognized him anywhere._

" _Oh my, and he calls us barbarians," Francis wrinkled his nose in disgust at the raven-haired nation._

" _Ew, that's the Middle Kingdom? How disappointing, I want to go home Luddy," the Italian man whined._

 _While insults were thrown at Yao from every direction, he toned out from their pointless chatter. He wondered how long he would last… a week? One day? It was a funny game, betting on his own life. Yao reckoned that he could hold anywhere from a day to a week._

" _Enough!" Arthur shouted, silencing the rest. "China, you have no other choices. Surrender now."_

 _He was right, he had no other choices. But what was the point of surrendering when his fate would be the same anyway? It didn't matter what he did. Even if he begged or obediently obeyed, they would still subject him to their torture and pleasure. He knew everything that was going to take place. They would decorate him with bullets and his body would become a massive canvas of blood and gore. If the results were going to be the same anyway, why should he give them the satisfaction without even putting up a fight._

 _Even if he was going to end up buried under their bodies, he would fight until all of his bones were broken and all of his blood were drained. They wanted a piece of him? Fine, then come at him with all they have. They'd better ripe him apart until he had no ways of retaliating. They'd better crush every fiber of his being because Yao was not going to hold back._

 _Glaring at the approaching crowd, Yao declared. "Come."_

 _Pointing his sword towards them, Yao was reminded of his youth. A warrior who fought in countless battles and won against undefeatable enemies. The immortal who established an empire that lasted for five thousand years. Seeing his own reflection on the sword, nothing had changed, yet everything had. One last time, Yao thought. For old time's sake, he would dance one last time with his life on the line. The dance of a dragon._

* * *

"I'm so tired Vanya… please do it for me," Yao hoped he would reach the little boy he knew was in there somewhere.

Abruptly, he felt his hair being yanked down forcibly by Ivan's hand. "You're so cruel, Yao." He buried his head on Yao's shoulder so Yao could not see the expression on his face. "I waited so long for you, but you were always so eager to leave me. "

"I…" He didn't know what to say.

"I won't kill you. You are going to stay with me whether you like it or not. Even if you were to stop breathing right now, I would drag you back from the depth of hell if I have to!" Ivan yelled vehemently startling Yao who had never seen him so agitated. "You are not ever leaving me again," he growled.

Ivan took off his long military jacket and wrapped it around Yao's naked body. He then scooped him up in his arms as if he was nothing more than a ragdoll.

"Let's go home Yao."

 _But I am home._ A high cold crackle pierced through the room, and Yao despised that fanatic laughter. It was mad and deranged. He wished whoever was laughing would stop… then he realized something.

He was the one laughing.

What a divine comedy his entire life was! Oh how he had fallen from grace.

Surprised by Yao's unexpected behaviors, Ivan didn't know what the joke was. But regardless he started laughing too. The madness seemed contagious.

The sun was sinking behind the rooftops, its color fading from crimson red to a bitter purple.

* * *

 **AN: See, I said there would be angst.**

 **I really hope I did their relationship justice (I probably didn't *sighs*), and portrayed Yao in not-a-totally victimized manner. He remained strong until the end.**

 **Please don't hate any characters for what they did in this chapter, especially Ivan. I believe that he truly loves Yao despite going at it the wrong way. And again, Yao is not faultless either.**

 **Lastly I want to know your reaction! So review, review, review! Hugs and Kisses ^J^**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hey, once again thank you for reading this far!**

 **Ok, I lied. There's going to be four chapters instead of three. I realized this chapter was going to be way too long if I wanted to properly develop the Sino-Soviet split. So one more chapter after this!**

* * *

 _He expected himself to be put in shackles. He expected the nightly advances that man would force upon him._

 _But nothing happened._

 _After the rebellion group was annihilated by the Western power, he found himself in the arms of… Yao didn't know what to call him. An old friend? A child? His savior? A man who held his life in the palm of his hand?_

 _For the first few months, Yao was constrained to his bed. He couldn't move a muscle, and it hurt to even breathe. But Ivan was there with him through it all. While Yao despised his rotting body and his revolting appearance, Ivan did not seem to mind as he washed his wounds and bandaged him up. There was a certain gentleness to his actions that unnerved Yao, that caused him to wince even though it was not from pain._

" _Am I hurting you Yao?" Ivan inquired softly as he untied Yao's stained bandages and prepared the new ones. Yao said nothing as he shifted his head to the other side, unwilling to look at him._

 _At Yao's refusal to answer, Ivan merely smiled bitterly and continued to wrap the milky white bandage around his arm. Despite the deeply imprinted scars and bruises, Yao was still so handsome to him. Underneath that damaged skin was the bone structure of a divine being, and his hair looked as beautiful as the day he met him. Instinctively, his hand was tangled in the glossy raven locks as if river water was flowing through his fingers. Upon realizing what he was doing, Ivan quickly drew back his hand._

" _I'm sorry," Ivan muttered. Yao wanted to tell him there was nothing to be sorry about. He put himself in that position; he deserved the consequences for losing the wars, yet he said nothing as he stared at the white wall beside his bed. When he first arrived there, the wall was freshly painted without any signs of impurity, but as time passed by, the paint had started to chip off and began to reveal its filthy nature._

 _Yao didn't know how long had passed since Ivan started taking care of him. The privilege or perhaps the curse of being an immortal was that all injures, no matter how fatal, would heal over time. But even if the wounds would disappear, the pain never would. Yao was tired from more than four thousand years of pain._

 _So even when most of his cuts and gashes were mended, Yao still lay motionless in his bed. Even when he was physically capable to walk, he didn't take one step away from his bed. Indifference was growing rapidly within his heart, and he was beyond caring. His country was going through civil war and revolution? Go ahead, he didn't care. Millions of his people died? Well, at least they could die while he was forever stuck in purgatory. However although he had convinced himself to shut off his heart, it writhed in pain every time that child tried so desperately to make him smile._

 _Ivan was relentless in his pursuit to bring back the Yao he knew, the one he fell in love with. Every day was spent trying to invoke some sort of emotion from him. He tried everything. From putting on puppet shows to sewing a stuffed panda, he just wanted to see him smile. It was funny how things had changed so much, yet he was back to being a powerless little boy yearning the attention of that unattainable nation._

" _What happened to your hands?" Yao asked suspiciously after glancing at Ivan's hands covered with bandages._

" _I was cutting an apple, and I got careless," Ivan smiled innocently._

 _Yao looked down on the badly sewn panda in his lap and raised an eyebrow at Ivan's bandaged hands. You don't have to do all of this for me, that was what he wanted to say, but he simply sighed and averted his eyes from Ivan once again._

 _Days, months, and years passed with Ivan sitting on a chair beside his bed and Yao looking the other way. But Ivan was patient; they were immortals, time was all they had. Instead of retreating back to his room at night, Ivan stayed with him through nightfall until sun rise. Ivan didn't want Yao to sleep alone, sometimes in his sleep Yao would shriek in pain from phantoms of his mind. And Ivan couldn't do anything but hold his hand and prayed for his nightmares to go away. However, he was ashamed of himself. He was ashamed for wanting to feel Yao's hand tightly interwoven with his when he knew Yao was suffering in his dreams._

" _It's late, you should go to sleep," Yao said coolly. How many nights did he spend in that chair unwilling to leave him alone? How much did he sacrifice for someone as undeserving as himself? "You do know you have your own bed in the other room right?"_

" _I know, but I rather stay with you," Ivan said cheerfully. He had not touched his own bed in years._

" _That chair couldn't be comfortable to sleep in."_

" _Oh is that an invitation Yao Yao?" he laughed. "Are you suggesting we sleep together on your bed?"_

" _No!" Yao refuted quickly. "That's not what I… ugh stay in that chair and don't come near me."_

 _Perhaps his words were a little harsh, as he watched Ivan's smile faltered for a split second. "Don't worry Yao, I won't… come near you."_

" _I…" I'm sorry, he wanted to say._

" _Go to sleep, I'll be right here." Ivan turned off the lamplight and retreated back to his chair. Thus beginning his nightly watches over the man he loved but would never love him back. It would be so easy to make Yao his. Ivan could imagine how the scenario would play out. He would pin Yao under him and rip apart his clothes. Yao's legs would be slung over his shoulders, and he would thrust mercilessly into his entrance. Yao's screams would be overshadowed by his groans of pleasure while his essence filled up the smaller man's inside. He could do this. But if he did, he would destroy everything they had together. The possibility of Yao ever smiling at him again would be completely shattered. Besides, he knew he could never hurt Yao._

 _Taking one last look at Ivan, Yao turned to the other side facing away from him and closed his eyes. He eventually fell asleep to the even breathing of the man sitting close to him._

 _He woke up from the rumbling of a thunder storm outside and the persistent banging on his door. It was still night time, and Yao felt groggy as he rubbed his half-closed eyes. He was just about to ask Ivan what was going on when he noticed that he was the only one in the room. Dread began to take a hold of his heart as he had never woken up these past years without Ivan by his side._

 _The door barged open, and Natalya glared furiously at him. "Where's my brother?!"_

" _Why would I know where he is?" His reply felt nostalgic as he wondered where he had said it before._

" _Because he spends every night with you!" She answered irritably. "He is supposed to attend his meeting with his boss but he's nowhere to be found, and I thought he's with you but he's obviously not here!"_

" _He's missing?" The temperature dropped inside the room from either Natalya's threatening glare or Yao's sudden concern._

" _Well I can't find him anywhere inside the house!"_

" _What about outside?"_

" _Outside in this weather? Are you crazy?" She stared incredulously at him._

 _No, but Ivan might be, Yao thought. The crackling sound of lightning punctured through the malevolent sky. Without wasting a second longer, Yao got up from his bed and rushed out of the door._

" _Wait where are you going?!" Natalya shouted after him._

 _But the cries of thunder concealed any voices obstructing Yao's path. The starless sky restlessly grumbled and_ _the rain poured down over the city with a roar. The sound of emptiness was disrupted by the loud gregarious boom of thunder. The cold icy rain pierced his pale and wet skin. Yao ran across the slippery path, his posture weakened by the weight of his soaked clothes. Rain drops were coming down like bullets from above, but Yao only thought of Ivan. It was night and the sheets of rain were obscuring Yao's vision, forcing him to persist on without anything but his instinct._

 _Then he saw tall figure standing from far way. Yao prayed that it was Ivan and ran towards that lingering hope._

 _Ivan stood with the water running freely down his face and into his already soaked clothes. He did not seem to be disturbed by his surrounding as he stared solemnly down at his withered flowers._

" _Ivan!" Suddenly shaken out of his trance, Ivan raised his head and was taken aback by the person standing in front of him. Yao's thin layer of white robe clung firmly onto his body, revealing his thin frame and the scars that didn't fully disappear. His long hair wetly draped over his shoulders, and Ivan could see the fiery glare he was giving him even through the heavy downpour._

" _Yao, what are you doing here! Go back inside, you're going to get sick!"_

" _Don't tell me what to do!" Yao snapped. "Why are you here?! Don't you care about yourself at all!"_

 _Ivan grimaced slightly before looking down at the dead sunflowers. "I was going to give these sunflowers to you tomorrow. I didn't know it was going to rain today… I tried to save them, bu-but I was too late."_

" _Why…" Yao stared despairingly at the taller man. Why would he try this hard for a fallen one like him? Why couldn't he stop his own heart from falling deeper and deeper in love with this man?_

" _Sunflowers brought me happiness in my darkest days, so I thought you would like them too," Ivan's voice quivered. "I thought maybe, just maybe, you would finally smile."_

" _You stupid child," Yao whispered before walking over to Ivan. "You don't know me at all…"_

 _The thunder rolled beckoning the fury of gods, and the rain fell like stones. But as they stood only inches apart, nothing quite mattered anymore. Ivan watched as Yao's hand slowly reached out for his face and stroked it tenderly. He then proceeded to bring Ivan's head onto his shoulder. "But that's ok."_

 _Ivan buried his face in Yao's shoulder curve, his hands flexing around Yao's back. The rain kept falling without any signs of stopping, but Ivan was grateful as he cried softly with Yao in his embrace._

" _I love you," his lips touching the collar bone of the oriental man._

" _I-"_

* * *

"China wake up!" Yao's eyes struggled to open at the obnoxious voice of the younger nation. "Dude, you missed the entire meeting, not to mention my speech!"

"Let's me guess, it's about how you are going to save the world," Yao smiled jokingly at Alfred. "If it's that one then I already heard it about a million times."

"Well I can't help it if the safety of the entire world rests solely on my shoulder," he pouted. "What were you dreaming about anyway? You seemed pretty happy, wait were you dreaming about me?"

"Aiyahh no, of course not," Yao rolled his eyes. "It's… it's nothing."

"Whatever you say dude," Alfred shrugged before slurping the large bottle of Pepsi on the table.

"If that's all for today then I'll take my leave," said Yao as he straightened his tie and collected the pile of papers on the table.

Reluctantly, Alfred let go of his drink and waved for Yao to stay. "Wait, this was supposed to be a private meeting between our countries. Arthur and Francis are not here, come on don't leave me, I'll be bored!" he whined.

"I'm tired Alfred." It was true, he was tired. The nap was the only sleep he got for two whole weeks, not to mention the locked-up memories it stirred from his subconscious. Those haunting violet eyes were the constant source of his heartaches.

"Ugh fine, whatever," he grumbled. "Oh hold on before you leave, you should know something since you probably slept through it."

"Is it about your weight gain?" Yao teased.

"What are you talking about, I'm like an even hotter version of Johnny Depp! Anyway it's good news!" Alfred said excitedly. "Soviet is dead!"

It was as if Yao had forgotten how to speak English, or even how to comprehend it. What was he talking about? What did his words even mean? Then in his shock, he felt his hands dropped to his sides, and stack of papers flew over the floor. Beneath his feet, the carpet became soft like a sinkhole threatening to devour him in whole. Perhaps a black hole would be a better description since his entire existence was slipping into a state of oblivion.

"What did you say…" Yao was surprised he could still speak.

"I said he's dead. The Soviet Union was officially dissolved yesterday."

"How come no one told me about this?" Yao demanded accusingly.

Alfred shrugged nonchalantly. "You usually don't want to hear anything concerning him, and it just happened yesterday."

Blood drained from his face, and he leaned against the wall to keep his legs from giving in to the weight of gravity. "I… I have to go."

As soon as he said that, the room felt suffocating and he needed to get out. Not even caring about the papers on the floor, Yao sprinted toward the door. Just as he was about to reach the door handle, he was pulled back by a strong hand.

"What do you think you're doing Yao?" Alfred gripped his arm tensely, bringing him closer to his face.

"Let me go," Yao glared at him.

"Did you forget about things he had done to you?!" Alfred shook him. "Do you still love him that much after everything he put you through?!"

"Don't act like you know everything!" Yao scowled.

"But I do know him! I know what a monster he was, and how corrupted his ideals were! All he ever wanted was power; he didn't care about you Yao!"

"Oh and you do?" he sneered. "Arthur's going to be very upset if he hears this."

"Don't shift the subject," Alfred frowned at the mention of Arthur. "Soviet is dead, and you can't do anything to change that fact."

"His name was Ivan," Yao looked at him straight in the eyes. It had been a long time since he had last spoken of that name, and it kindled conflicting emotions that burned within his soul. "I'll say this one more time. Let me go."

"No."

"Ha, I can't believe you're jealous of a dead man." With a smooth motion, Yao snatched his arm away from his grip and walked out of the door.

"Don't do this Yao." He could hear Alfred's voice behind him but it did nothing to change his mind as his pace quickened from a walk to run.

* * *

Ivan didn't know how he ended up in this field of snow. The world was swallowed in white and snowflakes fell silently onto his body. Breath pale against the numbing air, he blinked bitterly as the frost kissed his face, loathing the soft, dusty illusions of light that sat heavy on his eyelashes.

Where did he go wrong? Why did everyone leave him?

Well, he knew the answer to the second question. Somewhere along the path he was led astray. He had no one to blame but himself. Such was the reality he had to face yesterday.

Even though his body was still intact, his heart had already stopped beating and he could feel his consciousness slipping away. It wouldn't be long before he became a part of the snow and someone else would take his place. It was cruel how his life had ended. He despised the snow yet it was the only thing accompanying him to death.

He wished he had the chance to tell his sisters how much he loved them; he wished he could take back some of the things he said and did to the Baltic states; he wished he could see that person one more time, but he was powerless to turn back the time.

Ivan never had the habit of praying, but he pleaded with whoever that had bestowed his fate as a nation to please let him see him one more time. _Please, I will gladly accept any punishment if it means I could see him one more time._

But of course, his only reply came from the drifting snow.

Maybe that was for the best. He didn't deserve him; he was never meant to feel the warmth of sunlight.

"Vanya," a voice called out over the blanket of snow.

Ivan wondered if he was already dead. But even if none of this was real, he was more than grateful to disappear in the presence of his beautiful sunflower.

"You came back for me."

* * *

 **AN: Next chapter will be describing the "honeymoon" stage in Sino-Soviet relations and also the split. I am debating on whether there should be any smut in the next chapter... Lol, obviously there will be flashbacks describing how intimate China and Russia became, but I'm not sure if I want to make it explicit or implicit.**

 **Hmm so tell me if you would like a steamy rochu scene! Although if I do decide to include those things, it would definitely not be anything hardcore (I just can't, I'd faint from embarrassment) and only serves to show their love for one another. Also, it's going to get very angsty(I hope) so buckle up your seat belt.**

 **Leave me a review(do you want the intimate scene? ;)) if you can because it really motivates me to write.**

 **Hugs and Kisses ^J^**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Last chapter T.T, and it's a very long one!**

 **-OH MY GAWD, I am so ashamed of myself! Ughhh I can't believe I wrote smut(kinda)! Ok, before writing, I was like pshh this is going to be easy, but as I started writing I was dying on the inside from embarrassment. There were times when I just stopped typing and wondered what I was doing with my life lol. So after this chapter, I have a newfound respect for all writers who can write "beautifully depicted intimate scenes." They definitely deserve a metal, or two!**

 **For those who looked forward for the "steamy" rochu scene, I'm sorry. It will not be very descriptive and I had a hard time just typing the words out. For those who did not want the smut, I'm also sorry because this chapter does contain mature/sexual materials. THIS CHAPTER IS RATED M! But to be honest, I think it's somewhere between T to M (but just to be safe, it's M)**

 **-The Sino-Soviet split flashback was heavily inspired by a Chinese doujinshi called "Mine".**

Soundtrack For This Chapter (really sets the mood for reading :))

Glassy Sky- Tokyo Ghoul OST

Tell Me The Same- Michl

Wings- Birdy

Wicked Game- James Vincent McMorrow

Insight XIV- Julien Marchal

Oxygen- Fred V & Grafix

* * *

" _Ivan, ready or not here I come!"_

 _Yao couldn't see anything. His eyes were blinded by a thick piece of fabric tied up in a knot. Even though his world currently resided in darkness, he knew Ivan was nearby and would only be a matter of time before he found him. With a keen awareness of his surroundings, he felt the winter air brushed against his face, and let his hands explore the over-hanging branches of trees. He could only hear his own boots trudging in snow as the whole forest laid in silence._

 _Crunch. Yao quickly reached in the direction the sound came from, but his hands merely caught cold air and melted snowflakes. Not willing to admit defeat, Yao waved his arms around hoping to provoke more noises. Nothing. Not even the chirping of birds. Just when Yao was about to loosen his blindfold, faint footsteps were sounded ever so softly._

" _Ivan?" Yao called out cautiously. Knowing he wouldn't get a reply, he moved forward slowly with hands reaching out. Then his senses tingled as he recognized the breathing of that man, his chest seemingly rose and fell with sedative qualities of a lullaby. I got you, Yao thought smugly._

 _However before he could grasp his lover, he was tackled to the ground by a pair of powerful arms._

 _Yao fell head first into the snowy ground and kisses were placed on the nape of his neck. Angrily, he pulled back his blindfold. "That's not how the game works! I'm supposed to catch you not the other way around!"_

 _Smiling down at the man beneath him, Ivan said, "But you were taking too long and I was getting impatient."_

" _Good things come to those who wait!" Yao protested, struggling to get out of Ivan's grip to no avail._

" _Good things? Oh you mean this," Ivan smirked slightly before bringing his lips to meet those belonging to the other. At first, he could feel Yao's annoyance as his lips were pressed tightly with no signs of corporation, then as he began to shower him with delicate kisses Yao's body loosened up and his mouth slightly parted to allow for Ivan's entrance. Their breaths mingled, and their tongues fought for dominance before eventually settling for mutual entanglement. Lost in absolute paradise, Yao didn't notice Ivan's fingers unbuttoning his coat until a gust of winter wind sweep through his skin._

" _Ivan stop, we're outside," reluctantly Yao broke away from the kiss._

" _So?" Ivan tilted his head admiring the redness of his lover's cheeks._

" _It's indecent!" His blush deepened. "Besides, I'm cold."_

 _Ivan was just about to suggest that he could warm him up when he saw Yao trembling from the chill. He frowned at his carelessness; he'd often forget that others were not used to his climate, the coldness that he grew up with. Gently, he planted a kiss on Yao's cheek and pulled him up._

" _Then let's go home." Fingers firmly intertwined together, Ivan led Yao running as they laughed like rebellious adolescents fleeing from their oppressive parents. Hearts pounding, and feet craving a path in snow, they ran towards their destination yet at the same time headed for no place in particular. As long as they had each other, the whole world was their playground._

 _Anxiously pushing the door open Yao was met by a gush of warm air. He didn't realize how cold he was until he slipped off his coat and removed his boots._

" _This is all your fault! Why did I listen to you?" Yao said annoyingly. "We should have been discussing about advancing our troops, but you wanted to play hide and seek!"_

" _Aw is Yao Yao mad at me?" Forging a sad pout, Ivan's glossy violet eyes shimmered._

" _That's not going to work this time!" Yao crossed his arms and hardened his voice. But as Ivan resembled more and more like a lost puppy, Yao tsked and cursed himself for having a weakness over cute things._

" _Of course I'm not mad at you," he stood on his tippy toes and patted his head. A smile appeared on his face as he remembered the days when Ivan was just a boy up to his waist._

" _Really?"_

" _Yes," Yao reassured him. But as soon as he said that, Ivan's face changed from that of innocent to hunger._

 _Pulling off his leather glove with his teeth, he pressed his finger against Yao's lips. Ivan lowered his forehead onto Yao's. "Since you're not mad, let's continue where we left off shall we?"_

" _How vulgar," Yao said half-jokingly as he shoved his hand away._

" _What's vulgar is the noise you made last night." He pressed harder against Yao's forehead. "I can't wait to hear it again," Ivan said huskily._

 _Closing in on the distance between them, Ivan's hands snaked around Yao's waist and travelled under his military jacket, sending shivers over the sensitive skin he touched. His hand continued to voyage further and further up until it reached his chest, and skillfully Ivan toyed around his nipple before giving it a hard squeeze._

 _Immediately Yao let out a yelp and elbowed him away. "What are you doing?! The others might see us!"_

" _And what of it?" Ivan walked closer to Yao as he began backing up from him._

" _Let's…at least go upstairs," Yao blushed slightly._

" _But the living room is closer." His eyes were that of a predator's, and Yao disliked the fact that he was being cornered like a prey._

 _Knowing he might as well enjoy himself, Yao reached for the elastic holding his hair in place and pulled it off. Silky hair tumbled over his shoulders. It wasn't as long as it used to be, but he knew it still drove Ivan crazy. "If you want me that much, then come catch me."_

 _Giving Ivan a sly grin, Yao sprinted up the stairs and laughed as the sound of heavy footsteps chased after him. "All deals are off if you can't catch me_ ~ _" he whistled teasingly, enjoying the fun of the chase before he was pressed against the bed sheets._

 _Just as he pushed their bedroom door open he was attacked from behind and lifted off the ground. Ivan wrapped both arms under his shoulders and pulled him close until there was no space between their bodies._

" _I won," Ivan nibbled on his ear._

" _I let you win." Yao sunk into his warmth, and smiled as he was being carried to the bed. As soon as they fell onto the soft mattress, his clothes were wrenched off and he could have sworn some of the buttons were ripped from pure impatience. He felt his pants being tugged down and picked up the sound of Ivan taking off his own clothes. Face planted in the silk sheet, Yao turned around so he could face Ivan and dragged himself up in a sitting position. Legs spread wide apart, Yao licked his lips and pushed back his hair._

" _You beautiful child," Yao muttered seductively as he leaned forward to let his fingers trace the outline of Ivan's face. Sure, in his prime he was known to be the most beautiful nation; people said that beauty was in the eye of the beholder, but for Yao that was true of everyone he met. He thought he knew what beauty was when he held a mirror in his hand, but that was before meeting Ivan. Before losing and surrendering in those amethyst eyes._

" _I'm not a child," Ivan grabbed his hand._

" _Then prove it." His words light as feathers landed upon his lips and immediately he was put on Ivan's lap. Both of his hands enclosed around Ivan's neck, their lips met in a frantic encounter. Those kisses were their torment and salvation, and instinctively their bodies began grinding against each other's. Ivan's hands roamed around Yao's smooth skin until reaching his back entrance, swiftly he inserted one of his fingers inside._

 _Yao broke away from the kiss and moaned as he felt himself tightening around the foreign object. The finger curled and contracted within him, and just when he was getting used to the motion another finger was added inside._

" _Ah Ivan!" Yao shrieked and panted heavily, his hair now wet with sweat clung to Ivan's broad chest._

 _Ivan left trails of kisses from his neck down to his collar bone hoping to ease away the pain. After deciding it was enough preparation, he took his fingers out and started pushing his hard erection into the opening._

 _In the beginning, the pain was unbearable. It was like he was being torn from the inside. Yao's fingers dug sharply into Ivan's back and he buried his face on his shoulders. Yao was no prude; he had his share of fun and games in his first a thousand years. Men, women, he had been with them all. Some he felt fondness over, some merely used to pass the time. But sooner or later they would all die and leave him alone. After two thousand years had passed, Yao was tired of physical intimacy; he deemed it meaningless and tasteless. Sex was used to satisfy human bodily desires, but since he was no human, he did not want to have anything to do with it._

 _Another thrust shook Yao from his thoughts and he found himself moaning to the rhythm of Ivan's love making. He still stood by his old beliefs, but Ivan was different. Ivan was everything to him, and Yao was willing to give everything up to be with him. Not as China, but as Yao. When all those dear to him had betrayed and left him, Ivan was there to pick up the broken pieces. When he hated himself and wished nothing more than to die, he told him 'I love you' over and over again until it became a daily routine. He showed him light when his world was stolen of colors. Perhaps Yao had always loved him, even during the times when they lived together under Mongolia's rule. But this love frightened him. It was passionate and dangerous. It robbed him of his senses and replaced his brain with his heart. But none of that mattered, being connected with Ivan in every way possible was all he wanted right now. The future seemed so very far when his present was brimming with ecstasy and pure bliss._

 _The bed creaked and groaned beneath them and before long the sheets were stained with their seeds. Yao collapsed onto the pillow with a loud thud and Ivan followed suit falling on top of him._

 _Ivan curled up against him, head resting on top of his chest. "Get off, you're so heavy," said Yao as he let out a sigh._

" _Nyet, I told you I like this position didn't I?" Ivan smiled brightly at his confused lover. Despite what they did just a few seconds ago, lying there with Yao besides him brought beloved memories of his childhood. But instead of resting on grass, they were in bed together._

" _Please don't ever leave me Yao," he mused quietly. "I love you so much that it hurts. You are the trap that I wanted to fall into my whole life; life without you would be an infinite prison. Please Yao…"_

 _Moving forward so that he was face to face with Yao, Ivan continued," Please, do you love me?"_

 _He wanted to say yes; he loved him more than he could ever know, but instead he kissed him softly on the lips. It was sweet and tender and Yao hoped it conveyed more than what words could._

 _Disappointed that Yao avoided the question yet again, Ivan slumped back into his embrace and settled for simple cuddling. One day, Ivan thought. One day, he would make him say those three little words._

* * *

Why? Why did this happen to them?

Yao thought he prepared himself to face the consequences of meeting the fallen Soviet. He told himself over and over again not to get emotional and even proceeded to lie to himself that it was polite to see him one more time before his death. But everything crumbled down the moment he saw Ivan almost buried in snow. His uniform stained with blood and his skin even paler than ash, Ivan appeared lifeless. Or rather, his life was slipping away with his remaining consciousness hanging by a thread.

"Vanya," Yao called out painfully. His voice threatening to break but he bit down on his lips to prevent the cries from escaping.

"You came back for me."

Trembling, Yao closed his eyes. _Yes, Vanya. I came back for you_. Yao wanted to run towards him, he wanted to run away from him and never look back. He wanted to scream at their fate, and he wanted to cry until there were no tears left. But he did none of those things. Numbly, his legs moved one step at a time like a walking dead in the direction of the soon-to-be perished nation. Upon reaching him, his legs yielded to the weight of his shattered heart and he fell to his knees.

"Am I dreaming? Are you real Yao?" Ivan spoke softly. "But even if you're not real, that's okay too. Yao is still Yao."

"N-no, I'm real," Yao smiled bitterly.

 _Do illusions know they're imaginary or do they believe they are real?_ Ivan wondered thoughtfully. Looking at the oriental nation above him, he wanted to feel the touch of his skin one more time, to remember the warmth of sunlight before vanishing into the coldness forever. Ivan tried to lift his arm, but an excruciating pain shot through him causing his efforts to amount to a mere twitch. But before he could attempt to reach out to him again, Yao grabbed his hand and held it tightly with both hands.

"I'm surprised they let you see me," Ivan said.

Yao grimaced faintly. "Well, what could they do? Shoot me?"

Ivan smiled at the half-hearted joke, but even moving the corners of his mouth hurt. "I suppose you are too tough for that."

Even though warmth had long since abandoned his body, his hand felt safe. "Everyone had left, even my sisters…"

"I know."

"But you came back. My Yao Yao came back for me." Yao's face was unreadable, but Ivan could feel his hands tensing. "I thought I was fine with dying alone, but I was wrong. It was cold… it was so cold Yao. I was scared of disappearing. I-I don't know… Ha, after I'm gone I would be remembered as a monster, da? A ruthless nation who wanted nothing more than power. Tell me, is Alfred celebrating right now?"

"Stop it."

"But he's right, I am a monster… I deserve this." Ivan looked up at the falling snowflakes above him, strange that they seemed to appear out of nowhere. "I'm so sorry. The last time we had seen each other… I-I…" Ivan shut his eyes closed and basked in the coldness of snowflakes melting on his face. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Sorry can't bring back what we lost…"

* * *

 _The hallway seemed long and endless, but Yao ran like his life depended on it. He needed to see Ivan right now. His heart was palpitating inside his chest, and sweat rolled down his forehead in thick salty beads. Barging the door open, he was faced to the back of a platinum-haired man in shinny uniform adorning a white scarf._

" _What the hell is the meaning of this?" Yao snapped angrily._

 _Slowly, the chair turned and he was greeted with an innocent smile that revealed nothing sinister. But his eyes told a different story. "Ah Yao, I was expecting you. Please have a seat," he gestured towards the chair in front of his desk._

 _Ignoring him, Yao pressed on, "Are you seriously withdrawing all of your troops?!"_

" _Da!" Ivan continued to smile._

 _Yao stared disbelievingly at him before walking to where he was supposed to sit and slammed his fist on the table. "Why?! Why are you doing this? Can't we at least discuss about it?"_

" _You want to know why I'm doing this?" Ivan rested his head on his folded hands. "You should know the reason… or are you too busy hanging out with your new friends?"_

" _You followed me?" Yao glared at him._

" _I don't need to. All I did was turn on the TV and saw what China's being up to these days."_

" _What does this have anything to do with you retreating your troops?"_

" _Oh Yao," one of Ivan's hand reached out and caressed Yao's face. "It has everything to do with it… I don't like it when you play with other people."_

" _Are you serious right now?!" Yao yanked Ivan's hand away from his face._

" _I'm dead serious." No longer smiling, Ivan's amethyst eyes glowed ominously. "Why do you need diplomatic ties with other nations when you have me? Did you forget how they treated you back then? I was the only one who was there for you, did you forget that?" Calmly he stood up and whispered in Yao's ear. "All you need is me, da?"_

 _Yao, frozen like a statue, didn't know how it turned out this way. "So you're taking away the support and that's it? Can't we please talk about it?"_

" _Sure we can! Let's see… how about paying with your body?" Ivan spoke as if he was talking about how nice the weather was._

 _What. Immediately Yao flinched away from him. "Stop kidding around! Look if you're going to be this unreasonable then I'm leaving."_

 _But as he was about to walk away, Ivan spoke again which made him stop in his tracks. "Yao, I mean it. I already told you I was serious, and if you were to walk out of that door right now… You know what will happen."_

 _With his back facing him, Yao clenched his fists sorely until his knuckles turned white. His country was not stable right now, they needed Soviet's support. Especially at the war fronts. If Ivan was to actually withdraw his troops then millions would die. He had no other choice._

 _Painfully turning around to face him again, Yao said, "Why Ivan? Why do you have to stoop this low?"_

" _Because I missed you so much. I once told you that I love you to the point where it hurts da? You never come to me willingly anymore, so if this was the only way for me to have you, so be it."_

 _Yao stared at the hand extended in front of him. Long time ago, this hand was used to lead him away from the dark. Today, it only served to guide the path of a bleak future. "If I do wh-whatever you want, then you will cancel the plans for retreatment right?" Yao asked weakly._

" _Da, now come here Yao."_

 _Emotionlessly Yao gave him his hand and watched as everything that was once precious to them fell apart._

 _The next morning arrived with burning pain spreading throughout his body. With difficulty Yao pushed himself up and winced at what his body became. New bite and teeth marks covered over the old ones that had yet to disappear. Trails of blood descended down his legs along with the milky white substance of overflowing cum. His hips ached from intense torment and his back felt like it could break any second. Just how many times did Ivan shoot inside of him? Yao laughed sharply as he uncomfortably squirmed at the buildup of his essence still inside._

 _He wanted to take a shower but he needed to get out of here first. Climbing out of the bed, his legs quivered intensely as he struggled to stand up. Grabbing the pile of clean clothes on the table, he quickly tugged them on. As he fumbled to close his last button he noticed a pistol lying on the desk. A moment of silence passed before he impassively snatched it and put it in his jacket._

 _Limping slightly, he looked around the room and saw Ivan was nowhere in sight. But before he could decide his feelings on it, the door was opened. "Good morning Yao! I trust you had a good sleep last night?"_

 _Ignoring his painfully cheerful tone, Yao looked away from him. "I did what you asked, now can I leave?"_

" _But what's the rush? There's no point for you to go back, I already called my troops to return."_

 _At first Yao couldn't believe what he was saying. He refused to acknowledge the words that were spoken so lightly yet carried the weight of millions of lives. "What…" he mouthed._

" _Last night while you were sleeping, I decided to go through with my original plans after all."_

" _Why… why would you," Yao lifted his face and gazed at the man whom he had once called his lover. "Why did y-you do this? Why did you br-break your promise?"_

 _Not only referring to Ivan's latest decisions, Yao reminisced bitterly about all those beautiful things he promised him. He used to be so sweet…so loving… when did they start drifting apart? Why did it all come down to this?_

" _You left me with no other options. I had to punish you for sneaking behind my back…"_

" _You're wrong! I didn't!"_

" _SHUT IT YAO!" If looks could kill, then Yao would be dead right now. "Do you take me for a fool?! If I can't have you, no one will!"_

 _Still not fully comprehending what was happening, Yao backed away from him. He walked unusually slowly, as if his brain was struggling to tell each foot to take the next step. "Please don't do this…"_

 _His words were cut off by bullets flying cross the room, pushing through the air with great speed and elegance. They were aimed at the glass window behind him and created cracks that were irreparable. Ivan lunged at him and shoved him against the window. He rammed him onto the glass again and again as the cracks expanded in ragged lines._

" _I love you so much! Why can't you understand that?!" He screamed at the man whose head was embellished by rivers of blood. "Why am I always the one running after you? Tell me! Why does it hurt so much?!"_

 _Then the glass broke and Yao shut his eyes as millions of new knives fell softly over his exposed skin. He was suspended in air with only Ivan's hands on his shoulders to keep him from falling._

" _Be careful Yao, this is a three story building," Ivan's fingers dug deeply into his shoulders. "It's not going to be a pretty fall if I let go of you."_

 _With glass shards punctured through his skin and streams of blood blinding his vision, Yao gazed at Ivan knowing it would be the last time he would look at him. "That's enough…"_

 _Ivan's face contorted in pain. Even though Yao was the one painted in red, he felt there was no life within himself anymore. "Why didn't you shoot me when you had the chance?!"_

 _Yao chuckled coldly. "I couldn't…" Besides, he thought, that wouldn't stop you from hurting me._

" _Yao please," hands trembling Ivan tightened his grip. "You love me da? Say that you love me and everything will be back to the way it was supposed to be. Remember? It was us against the world; you and me against them all. Please…say you love me."_

 _In that moment he resembled the child who used to follow him around like a baby duckling. His desperate pleading shattered Yao's heart more than shards of glass ever could. Shakily, Yao lifted his blood stained hand and stroked Ivan's face one last time._

" _Those who didn't want to play with you were not needed right? It's ok Vanya, let me go."_

 _Images of their past together flashed in front of him as Ivan's hands released him from his grasp. He loved him so much, but he would never know…_

 _Ivan looked down at the disjointed body surrounding by thousands of glittering fragments. A single tear slid down from his violet eyes, followed by another one, and another one…_

* * *

"Sorry can't bring back what we lost… but the past is in the past," Yao spoke coolly.

"Well the past was cruel to us," Ivan recalled the things he had done. "I was cruel to you."

He was right; he did unforgiveable things to him, but at the end of the day as nations they both committed sins that could never wash away. They both hurt each other beyond repairs.

"You were, you broke my heart," Yao laughed childishly.

"I didn't know you had a heart," Ivan chuckled. It had been a long time since the atmosphere between them was so calming.

"Haha, we're a mess aren't we Ivan?"

"Da," he answered softly. The road they took was long and winding, but Ivan feared he could not accompany Yao on their journey anymore. After spending a moment in peaceful silence with Yao, he said, "Yao, I have to go soon. I can feel it… It won't be long now; I can feel him coming closer."

"What? What are you talking about…?" Then Yao realized it. "No… no I won't let you! I'll take you home right now, let's go your injuries are not even that bad!"

"It's too late; my heart's not even beating."

"No!" Yao yelled, angry at how powerless he was. "You can't! You already broke so many of our promises! Don't you dare break another one!"

"I'm sorry Yao Yao. I know how much you hate being alone, but I can't stay with you anymore."

"Shut up," Yao shook his head refusing to let go of Ivan's hand.

"But don't worry, even though I won't be here anymore he will replace me." No longer feeling anything, the only thing that kept him grounded was Yao's hands. "I'm jealous of him. He gets to be with you. But I guess I'm the lucky one because even though he will look exactly like me and have my memories, I'm the one who walked down this path with you."

"Stop it with this 'him and I' business…Ivan will always be Ivan." Now overcame with emotions that were tucked away for years, Yao choked on his words as he attempted to stop the tears from falling.

"Aw don't cry," Ivan wanted to wipe away his tears; he wanted to pull him into an eternal embrace and never let him go, but of course he couldn't. "Smile, please let me see your beautiful smile one more time before I go."

Through flowing tears, Yao tried to stretch his mouth into a smile but all that came out was a pathetic half-grin. "I-I love y-you so m-much," he broke down on the last word.

"That was all I ever wanted to hear." He was sad that it was only through his death that he got what he wanted; he was happy that he finally heard the sound of his salvation. Taking one last look at his beloved Yao, Ivan's eyes softly closed. "Thank you for catching me."

Then just like that he was gone.

The snowflakes continued to fall ignorant to a man's bleeding heart. In his intense silence, Yao somehow screamed with his whole body. The eyes wide with despair, the mouth rigid and open, his chalky face adorned with rolls of tears, the fists clenched with blanched knuckles and the nails digging deeply into the palms of his hand. Exhausted at his existence, he collapsed onto the spot where Ivan disappeared.

Ivan was wrong. He didn't catch him; they never stopped falling.

~End~

* * *

Epilogue

"Which bloody idiot thought it was a good idea to go skydiving?!" Arthur screamed at the top of his lungs, standing by the door of the helicopter.

"For once I agree with him. This doesn't strike me as particularly romantic," Francis chimed in.

"Oh please, this is a brilliant idea!" Alfred rolled his eyes. "Like I said before, what better way to celebrate our anniversary as allies together than the possibility that one of us may jump to their potential death?"

"America!"

"Sheesh, I'm kidding," Alfred laughed and adjusted his goggles. "So who's going first?"

"Not me." Sitting very far back from the door, Yao obsessively checked his equipments. "Aiyahh, I'm too old to be doing this!"

"I don't think you're old," the Russian man beside Yao spoke softly, his words barely audible to be shared between them. "Well, I think it's great that all of us are spending quality time together!"

"Even though you're not jumping?" Yao glanced at him briefly before shifting his attention back to his equipment.

"I'm fine with just watching you guys…"

"Are you guys all scared or what?" Impatiently Alfred walked over to where Arthur was standing. "Hey Artie, since you're the closest one to being outside, off you go."

Before Arthur could process what was happening he was pushed out, and strings of insults could be heard hurling at Alfred even from below.

"I guess it's my turn, don't miss Big Brother France too much," blowing them a kiss Francis jumped out after Arthur.

"And now it's up to the Hero to save them!"

"Save them?" Yao narrowed his eyes.

"Ugh I don't know. It sounds cool ok!" Being the only one who actually looked excited, Alfred gave a small sign of salute as he glanced back at the remaining two nations on the helicopter. "See you on the other side!"

With Alfred gone, Yao sat in awkward silence with the man beside him.

"You sure you don't want to do this?"

"It's fine… you go and have fun Yao!"

Yao winced at the sound of his name; slowly he stood up and walked to the edge of the door. Cold air hit his goggles and he shivered at how high they were from the ground.

Pushing his goggles up, Yao turned and looked at Ivan. "Why do you not want to do this?"

Giggling nervously, Ivan fidgeted with his fingers. "There's no snow on the ground and I don't have equipments… Besides I'm, um, scared of falling."

"I won't let you fall."

Ivan couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What?"

"I said, I won't let you fall." Yao extended his hand out to Ivan.

"It's not the fall that kills you, it's the landing…" Speaking to himself, Ivan smiled bitterly as he remembered something that was said to him a long time ago. "But this time, you can't catch me anymore."

"Then we can fall together."

There was a moment of silence before Ivan stood up, broke into a run and scooped Yao up into a bear-hug. "I thought, I thought you don't like me anymore." Ivan hugged him tightly, his tears dripping from his cheeks on to Yao's skydiving suit.

"Stop crying, you know I never stopped caring about you right?" he smiled gently as he wiped away his tears.

"But I love you," his arms encircled around Yao's waist.

Yao didn't know what their future holds; he didn't know if he could afford to be selfish once more, but for the first time in his very long life, he wasn't afraid anymore.

"I love you too."

Then in each other's embrace, they jumped and fell into the unknown.

* * *

 **AN: Soviet died, but Ivan came back for Yao. Their end symbolized a new beginning.**

 **As you can probably tell by now, I am a hardcore rochu fangirl lol. One of the reasons why I love this pairing so much is because of their history together. So much angst, unspoken love, and regrets. I know I didn't exactly do their relationship justice as they are so much more than what my words could convey, but I hope at least I showed why I ship them so much.**

 **The story began with a literal sense of falling, so it's only fair that it ends the same way.**

 **I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! (Probably not since it became my motivation to wake up every morning LOL) I love reading your reviews, so any feedback is appreciated!**

 **Thank you! Hugs and Kisses ^J^**


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